If, as the Ottawa Senators hope, Filip Gustavsson eventually develops into their goaltender of the future years from now, he might leave out a small detail about how and why he dressed for a National Hockey League game for the first time.

It’s all about an errant tennis ball.

As Gustavsson’s good luck and Craig Anderson’s bad luck would have it, the Senators’ 20-year-old goaltending prospect was recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League for Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes because of another freak injury to Anderson, the winningest goaltender in franchise history.

Anderson is on the shelf this time because he failed to dodge a tennis ball during his warm-up routine before practice Monday. A scratch on one eye is not considered serious, so he is expected to join the team for Wednesday’s flight to Detroit, where the team kicks off a four-game road trip.

Filip Gustavsson is seen here in a file photo from Senators development camp last June.Tony Caldwell /
Postmedia

“DREAM COME TRUE:” With Anderson out Tuesday, Gustavsson got the call to serve as Anders Nilsson’s back-up against the Hurricanes.

“It feels awesome, a dream come true coming here,” said Gustavsson, who was acquired by the Senators organization 50 weeks ago as part of the trade that sent centre Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins. “Just being in this environment and seeing how top, elite players in hockey are doing, it’s a great experience for me.”

Gustavsson, drafted by the Penguins in 2016, has taken some lumps in his first full pro season in North America.

Given the turmoil around the Senators’ netminding situation, including early-season injuries to Marcus Hogberg and Mike Condon and the call-up of Mike McKenna to the NHL, Gustavsson was forced into situations quicker than the Senators would have liked. He has a 12-15-1 record with a 3.42 goals-against average and .886 save percentage.

PATIENCE IS REWARDED: Gustavsson acknowledges having to adjust to the speed of the pro game on this continent — he’s adopted a “narrower stance” in the crease so he can slide across the crease faster — but he says it’s paying dividends.

Lately, Gustavsson and Hogberg have played major roles in Belleville’s current streak of at least one point in nine consecutive games (6-0-3).

“We’ve started to play really well now,” Gustavsson said. “We’ve got the defence going really well now. That’s helping us goalies a lot.”

The ideal scenario for the Senators would be to have Hogberg and Gustvasson continue to share the net for the remainder of the AHL season, and there’s an outside chance Belleville could make a run at a playoff spot.

The Senators are taking the smart, patient approach with the young goaltender, careful not to expose him to too much, too soon.

However, flux has been par for the course when it comes to Senators goaltending and who knows what might happen with Anderson and Anders Nilsson before the Feb. 25 trade deadline?

Nilsson, incidentally, has some history with Gustavsson.

While Nilsson played for Sweden at the world championships last May, Gustavsson served as back-up to the back-up, seeing no game action, but soaking up the experience.

“Really good goalie, big talent,” Nilsson said of Gustavsson. “Good technical. I’m happy for him that he has been able to come up here and get some experience. I’m sure he’s going to be a good NHL goalie one day here in the future.”

As for Tuesday, Gustavsson was only too happy to soak up whatever he could, regardless of the circumstances that led to the opportunity. He didn’t mention an errant tennis ball even once.

BOROWIECKI’S SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: One day after loudly expressing his displeasure that two special needs players with the Capital City Condors were banned from a tournament, Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki was talking up Tuesday’s Love Is Love theme night. Wherever there’s a chance to promote inclusivity, Borowiecki will be a champion for the cause. “I’m very much into politics and social issues and I spend a lot of time thinking about it and reading about it,” said Borowiecki, who also took part in Sunday’s Capital Pride March. “It takes more energy to exclude people than it does to include them. I am absolutely, 100 per cent behind and supportive of that part of our community.”

HE’S BAA-CK: After yet another trip to Ottawa from Belleville and another warm-up experience, Darren Archibald served as a designated healthy scratch for the Senators. Since Friday, Archibald has played in Laval for Belleville, skated in the warmup before the Senators’ Saturday game against the Winnipeg Jets, played Saturday night in Belleville against Laval and Sunday in Toronto against the Marlies. On his off-day, Monday, he learned he was returning to Ottawa on Tuesday. “I should have two sets of equipment,” Archibald joked. “There has been a little travel, but I’m excited to be here.”

The plans is for Archibald to be back in Belleville’s lineup for Wednesday’s game against Syracuse. The B-Sens also play Friday, Saturday and Monday afternoon.

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